A headline I never would have imangined in the '60's: Bulgaria Expels Another Russian Diplomat ...
Bulgaria Expels Another Russian Diplomat For Spying On U.S. Troops
December 18, 2020 15:30 GMT Updated December 18, 2020 16:50 GMT
https://www.rferl.org/a/bulgaria-expels-another-russian-diplomat-for-spying/31007938.html
SOFIA --
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The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has declared persona non grata a diplomat from the Russian Embassy due to actions incompatible with his diplomatic status," the ministry tweeted on December 18.
Bulgarian prosecutors issued a separate statement alleging that from 2017 until now the diplomat "has engaged in spying activities, during which he collected military information, including about the numbers of U.S. troops deployed on Bulgarian territory during exercises."
The aim was to transfer this information to Russian military intelligence, prosecutors said, adding that they had evidence the diplomat had been in contact with a Bulgarian citizen with access to classified information to whom money had been offered.
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We have in recent weeks and months seen too many examples of Russian officials carrying out aggressive actions, from espionage in Bulgaria to poisoning opponents both at home and abroad, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.
With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and Interfax